Insolating apparatus



Sept. 13, 1932. c. E. BILLS 1,877,382

I INSULATING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 8, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P 13, 1932 c'. E. BILLS INSOLATING APPARATUS Filed Aug; 8, 19:50

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented S ept. 13, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES EVERETT BILLS, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO MEAD JOHNSON do COMPANY, OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, A. CORPORATION OF 'INDIANA.

INSOLATING APPARATUS Application filed August 8, 1930. Seria1 No. 474,042.

Yeast contains ergosterol which'when ir-- radiated by ultra violet light has imparted to it vitamin'D, an anti-rachitic substance.

The quantity of ergosterol 1n yeast depends upon the species of'yeast selected and the culture medium used-in growing it. While any type of yeast containing ergosterol may be usedfor the purposes of the present invention, it is desirable to use yeast rich in ergosterol. Brewers yeast grown in an aerated medium has been found well adapted for this purpose. When ergosterol is irradiated as is customary, either in an ether solution or in "a, dry state, by artificially produced ultra violet rays, the activation curve rises quickly to a maximum and then falls very sharply, and therefore it is important that the activation treatment be terminated when this maximum is reached in 'order to prevent decomposition. I have found that in my insolation process the activation curve is a' very flat one andthat it is not essential that the insolation treatment be terminated at any particular moment.

One explanation for the lack of decomposition in treating yeast and ergosterol by my insolation process may be the absence of short wave lengths in sunlight, it being understood that there are practically no wave lengths less than 2900 A. U. in sunlight, whereas artificial ultra violet ray lamps produce not only all the wave lengths of sunlight, but a' great many more, particularly those below 2900 A. U.

- By the use of my process of insolationas applied to yeast, it has been found practical and economical to produce a product many times more potent than cod liver oil by continuingthe treatment for approximately thirty minutes under the conditions herein 6 described, but the exposure may be extended beyond this period -without substantial damage.

Preferably the form of a fine powder but it must not be so fine as to be an impalpable vpowder which would stick or cling to a supporting surface. Preferably the powdered yeast should pass through a standard thirty mesh screen.

The yeast is, first dried in a vacuum drum drier from which the material may be scraped off in flakes. 'A spray drier may be used if the resulting powder is not too fine. flakes scraped from the drumdrier are ground to a desired fineness, after which the powdered yeast is ready to be exposed tosolar rays. The exposure is preferably made by distributing the powdered yeast on a table or other support, in a thin layer ofabout one millimeter, the material being protected from wind during the exposure to. solar rays. The exposure is continued for about thirty minutes or more and it has been found desirable to agitate the powdered yeast during exposure. The powdered, insolated yeast is then collected into a container. Its keeping qualities are similar to those of yeast. When added to other food products suchas bread,

cereal foods and the like, the insolated yeast contributes vitamin B1 and B2, as well as the newly created vitamin D, to the products t which it is added.

One form of apparatus which has been 'found eflicient for cafrying out my process is shown in the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of apparatus embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken in the plane on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, vertical section taken in the plane of the line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

the yeast to be insolated is in V The ' In that embodiment of my invention shown I in the drawings, 10 indicates a continuous belt or conveyor. which may be about one hundred feet long and about a yard .wide. The conveyor may be made of sheet metal, such as tin, or any other suitable material. Preferably it has a smooth surface. The conveyor is supported on drums 11, mounted in a frame 12. Transverse roller bearings 13 also mounted in frame 12 support the belt intermediate the drums 11.

Adjacent one end of the frame is a hopper 14 which is as wide as the conveyor and 1s provided in itsbottom-with anarrow slot 15 as long" as the conveyor is wlde. Ad acent the slot 15, is a distributing device 16, mounted on a shaft 16. This distributor may be in the form of a grooved roll, as shown; or a movable screen, or other suitabledistributor familiar in the art may be used. The-distributing device is so arranged that the powdered yeast in the hopper will be deposlted on the conveyor in a thin layer preferably ofnot greater thickness than one millimeter.

A motor 17 is operatively connected with a shaft 18 on which one drum 11 is mounted,

, for imparting movement to-the conveyor 10, the other drum 11 being mounted on a rotatable shaft 19. The speed of operation is such that the conveyor will travel from the hopper to the opposite end of the frame in the time during which it is intended to expose the material to be insolated. The moving conveyor rotates the drum 11 on shaft 19 the yeast from wind without interfering with and the shaft .19 and the distributor shaft 16 are operatively connected py belt 19 to actuate the distributor 16.

On the frame 12, above the conveyor 10, is a" gable roof or cover comprising a plurality of rectangularly shaped frames 20, hinged at 21 to the sides of the frame 12, and meeting along the longitudinal median line of the gable on the ridge bar- 22. In the frames 20 are mounted sheets of cellophane 23 or other, material sufiiciently transparent-for the-An tended purpose. Trusses 24 assist in supporting the frames 20. This structure protects the efficiency of the solar rays.

a Means for imparting vibrations to the conveyor are indicated in the drawings, the same consisting of cam wheels 25 mounted on longitudinally extending shafts 26, 27. The shaft 26 is operatively connected with a motor 28 by a sprocket chain 29 and the shaft 27 is operatively connected with shaft 26 by sprocket chain 30. The arms 31 of the wheels 25 intermittently contact with the conveyor. .1 10 and impart tremors to it. A receptacle for receiving the insolated-yeast as it falls from the conveyor is indicated at '32.

It will be understood that a non-traveling 'i'.able 1n: 1ybe used in place of the conveyor 10 in which case the material would be distributed on the stationary support andbe scraped from thetable at the conclusion of the treatment.

Obviously, changes in construction may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of my invention andI do notdesire to be limited to the exact form and arrangement shown and described except as set forth in the appended claims.

1. Insolating apparatus comprisinga support for material to be insolated, and a cover located above the support, forming a substantially closed chamber between the cover and support, said cover comprising a plurality of frames and sheets of material transparent to ultra violet light mounted in the 45 frames, said frames extending upwardly to-- ward each other from the sides of the apparatus and from approximately the horizontal plane in which the upper lap of the conveyor is located.

2. Insolating apparatus comprising a frame, an endless conveyor mounted on the frame, means for operating the conveyor, a hopper located adjacent one end of the frame, means adjacent the hopper for distributing the material to be insolatc'd in a thin layer on the conveyor, and a cover mounted on the frame to extend over the conveyor and forum ing a chamber between thecover "and upper lap of the conveyor, said cover comprising a plurality of frames, sheets of material transof said frames being hinged to the sides of the apparatus frame, the hinges being located in substantially the same horizontal plane as the upper lap of the conveyor.

3. Insolating I apparatus comprising a frame, an endless conveyor mounted on the 1 frame, means for operating-the conveyor, a hopper located-adj acent one end of the frame, ineans adjacent the hopper for distributing the material to be insolated in a thin layer on the conveyor, a cover mounted on the frame above the conveyor and forming a chamber between the cover and upper lap of the conveyor and means comprising a plurality of rotatable cam wheels for intermittently contacting with the conveyor for imparting tremors to the conveyor, said cover consisting of a plurality of rectangularly shaped frames and sheets of material'transparent to ultra violet light mounted therein, said cover frame members being hinged to the-sides of the apparatus frame in approximately the horizontal plane in which the upper lap of the con-- ve or is located. r

n testimony, that I, claim the foregoing as my invention, I afiix my'signature this 31st day of July, 1930. v CHARLES EVERETT BILLS. 

